Flower show treat for senses

BOSTON – Garden-themed magazines, books and TV shows seem to be popping up like, well, weeds. With so many sources out there, it’s easy to find inspiration for your own garden, whether it’s a formal, hedged expanse or a tiny cottage plot.

The exhibitors at the New England Spring Flower Show went a step further for this year’s theme, “The Inspired Garden.”

More than 40 nurseries, landscapers and garden clubs have turned the Bayside Expo in Boston into a warm, humid, perfumed oasis for the winter-weary. Visitors can stroll by a seaside landscape inspired by a Grandma Moses painting. A few yards away, they’re transported to a sylvan waterfall, complete with a pair of hiking boots beside a cool stream, inspired by the historical gardens of Stephen Minot Weld.

There are Japanese gardens and formal English gardens, with soft pink roses cascading down giant trellises. There are city gardens and country gardens, sculpture gardens and rock gardens.

One thing that visitors who are familiar with the show won’t find this year are any knock-your-socks-off gardens. There are giant swan topiaries made of sweet Annie and licorice plant, and a separate exhibitor has topiaries of ducks in flight. But for the most part, the large exhibits are less elaborate than in years past. However, this turns more attention to the always interesting but often overlooked smaller exhibits.

While few find the Big Dig inspiring, four exhibitors crafted bouquets using that theme – from lilies popping out of pipes to an orange cone serving as a vase for bright gerbera daisies and birds of paradise.

There are also the charming “porthole” gardens – tiny scenes that you have to look through a window to see. These exhibitors drew inspiration from city lights, “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” and a surreal dreamscape.

To fully appreciate these smaller exhibits, it helps to go during a slow time – weekday afternoons are often less busy. Be sure to bring a notepad to jot down the names of any plants you like and go on a day when you don’t have to rush – then you’ll have time to find a little inspiration of your own.

The New England Spring Flower Show runs through March 25 at the Bayside Expo in Boston. Hours are 10:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Sunday. Tickets cost $15 in advance for adults, $7 for children, and are available at Shaw’s supermarkets. For information, call (617) 536-9280 or visit www.masshort.org.